USA: FLORIDA PENINSULA – SOUTHERN SPECIALS AND THE KEYS: SET DEPARTURE TRIP REPORT 24 APRIL – 02 MAY 2021 By Jacob Roalef The Dry Tortugas were loaded with Brown Noddies allowing for excellent looks. www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 2 | T R I P R E P O R T USA: Florida April - May 2021 Overview This nine-day set departure tour of Florida commenced in Miami on the 24th of April 2021 and concluded back there on the 2nd of May 2021. The tour visited many amazing birding locations including Spanish River Park, Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area and Wakodahatchee Wetlands before heading further south to the swamps of Everglades National Park and then down through the beautiful Florida Keys. The tour connected with many top-quality target birds, giving us a great list for our nine days in Florida. Avian highlights featured a long list of Florida specials and migrants including Antillean Nighthawk, Mottled Duck, Smooth-billed Ani, Mangrove and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, White- crowned Pigeon, Grey-headed Swamphen, Limpkin, Wood Stork, Grey (Black-bellied) Plover, Brown and Black Noddies, Sooty, Bridled, and Roseate Terns, Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown and Masked Boobies, Swallow-tailed and Snail Kites, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Yellow-chevroned and Mitred Parakeets, Grey Kingbird, Black-whiskered Vireo, Florida Scrub Jay, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Scaly-breasted Munia, Bachman’s Sparrow, Spot-breasted Oriole, Shiny Cowbird, Cape May, Magnolia, Blackpoll, and Pine Warblers, and a code 4 ABA rarity in Black-faced Grassquit. We were lucky to score this great rarity for Florida, a Black-faced Grassquit. A total of 154 bird species were seen (plus three species heard only), along with a few other amazing animals, including American Alligator, American Manatee, and ‘Key Deer’ (a tiny, endangered subspecies of White-tailed Deer). Species lists are at the end of this report. www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 3 | T R I P R E P O R T USA: Florida April - May 2021 Detailed Report Day 1, 24th April 2021. Arrival in Miami and some evening birding After gathering up everyone from the airport, checking into the hotel and enjoying a nice Cuban dinner, we decided to venture out for some first day birding. We enjoyed a pleasant evening stroll around Kings Creek Village where we were greeted by a flock of Mitred Parakeets, an established exotic, now on the ABA countable list. Other highlights included an amazing point-blank red morph Eastern Screech Owl, pointed out to us by some kind neighborhood walkers, and the first of many Fish Crows, Northern Mockingbirds, and Blue Jays. Yellow-chevroned Parakeet is one of many exotics in the Miami area. Day 2, 25th April 2021. Miami exotics and Wakodahatchee Wetlands The morning started off with breakfast before we headed out to explore some local parks and neighborhoods. Miami is known for having a long list of established exotic species which can be tricky to track down at times. We began at Pine Woods Park where we came across a small flock of Scaly-breasted Munias, a great start to the morning. We encountered a few other species including Brown Thrasher and Monk Parakeet before we turned back to leave. Just as we were approaching the vehicle, a pair of Red-whiskered Bulbuls flew over and gave us some great looks as they perched in a nearby tree! From here we explored some local neighborhoods where we scored our main target bird, Spot-breasted Oriole. This glowing orange bird gave us prolonged views before we headed off towards Crandon Park. This park, located on Key Biscayne, is full of small ponds and exotic species including Egyptian Goose, Muscovy Duck, and Indian Peafowl. www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 4 | T R I P R E P O R T USA: Florida April - May 2021 We also enjoyed views of five Grey Kingbirds on a single wire and a local rarity, Least Grebe, which had been hanging out in one of the ponds for the past few weeks. After lunch it was time to start heading north towards Boca Raton but first, we made a quick stop at the Biltmore Hotel to search for more exotics. The beautiful hotel grounds were full of Mitred Parakeets and after some searching, our tour participant Urban, spotted a Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (see pic above) at the top of one of the palms! From here we continued on to the spectacular Wakodahatchee Wetlands. As soon as we stepped onto the long boardwalk loop through the wetlands, we were greeted by the local welcoming party of nesting Wood Storks only a few feet away. These wetlands are a haven for nesting wading birds, and we spent the afternoon and early evening enjoying amazing views of Tricolored and Little Blue Herons, Purple and Common Gallinules, Grey-headed Swamphen, Anhinga, Glossy Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling Duck and Double-crested Cormorant. We also spotted some other wildlife including a Northern Raccoon and a few American Alligators. This American Alligator gave us a full view out of the water. Day 3, 26th April 2021. Spanish River Park, Loxahatchee, JD State Park to Fort Meyers Our first stop this morning was at Spanish River Park, a great location to catch up with migrant birds, resting and refueling before they continue their journeys north. We managed to get onto a few nice flocks containing American Redstart, Cape May, Black-and-white, Blackpoll, and Black-throated Blue Warblers, and Black-whiskered Vireo, a Florida special. We eventually headed out to the beach section where we picked up Least, Royal and Cabot’s Terns and a small flock of Sanderlings. From here we were off to Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge where we enjoyed a pleasant walk around their Cypress Swamp which really gives off Jurassic Park vibes. www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 5 | T R I P R E P O R T USA: Florida April - May 2021 Highlights here were Pileated Woodpecker and Barred Owl, a great spot by our tour participant Mary! The afternoon was spent visiting Jonathan Dickinson State Park where we managed to encounter our top target, Florida Scrub Jay, rather quickly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t interested in coming back out for prolonged looks and pictures. We moved on to the Sem-Chi Rice Mill which you can see from a distance, as hundreds of Black and Turkey Vultures soared overhead. Here we managed to catch up with the rare Shiny Cowbird as well as Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brown- headed Cowbird and Common Ground Dove before starting our long drive across the state to Fort Meyers. Anhinga may be a common bird in Florida, but they are always a real treat to watch. Day 4, 27th April 2021. Babcock-Webb, Harns Marsh, and the Tamiami Trail The morning started off exploring Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area and its extensive tracts of Florida slash pines which plays host to a few special species. It didn’t take too long to get onto our top target for the area, Red-cockaded Woodpecker! Of course, the woodpecker wasn’t the only good species here, we also enjoyed Great Crested Flycatcher, Bachman’s Sparrow, Sandhill Crane, Loggerhead Shrike, Eastern Meadowlark, and a Brown-headed Nuthatch, repeatedly visiting a nest hole. On our way out of the park, a small family of Northern Bobwhites decided to cross the road and treat us to a look, after hearing them all morning. From here we headed off to Harns Marsh where we heard the loud calls of Limpkins before finally spotting one. The main highlight though had to be spectacular, eye-level views of a Snail Kite slowly scouring the channel in search of snails and proceeding to land on a snag to dig out its prize. We began our journey south with a few stops in the Naples area which proved to be rather quiet and unsuccessful. After dinner we started our drive across the Tamiami Trail where a small channel follows the road www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 6 | T R I P R E P O R T USA: Florida April - May 2021 and it was absolutely full of Snowy and Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and Anhingas. For miles we enjoyed gazing out the windows at the massive numbers of these elegant waterbirds. Day 5, 28th April 2021. Everglades National Park and Lucky Hammock We started off this morning by heading into Everglades National Park, a huge park consisting of approximately 1.5 million acres of habitat! Unfortunately, we didn’t have any luck at our first stop with the tricky (Cape Sable) Seaside Sparrow but did however enjoy nice views of several Common Yellowthroats singing in the marshes. As we continued down the main road, we were treated to multiple low flying Swallow-tailed Kites, gracefully swooping over our heads. We continued along until we reached the Flamingo Visitor Center where a group of American Manatees were hanging out by the boat docks. It is always amazing to see these large sea mammals up close. We finished up with a quick hike around the eco pond which netted us some nice species including American White Pelican, Reddish Egret, American Avocet, and White-eyed Vireo. After a picnic lunch, we left the everglades behind. On our way out we stopped at the famous Robert is Here fruit stand to enjoy some delicious fruit shakes. We made a quick stop to check out a local Cave Swallow colony before heading to the hotel for some rest. There is nothing quite like a Swallow-tailed Kite soaring just over your head! A small group decided to venture out in the late afternoon to bird around Lucky Hammock and the L31W Canal.